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Wednesday, 13 June 2012

8:00 AM, my cell phone rings. It is sitting on the wooden bedside table, and set on vibrate. It makes a loud noise and I am shot awake. Half asleep I answer the call which happen to be one of my best friends, Scotty. The sunlight shines through the window, only interrupted by the curtain in front. I mumbled "hello?" while still dazed. "Are you still going to the show tonight?" he says, and I reply with" Uh... Yeah, I suppose". I get up off the bed and stretch out one of my arms as Scott retorts with "Good, I talked to a guy at the venue just now, he needs two guys to help unload the bands stuff". I am dumbfounded and in disbelief. I have plans with Danica later but I cannot pass an opportunity like this. I again mumble "Uh.. hell yeah man, just.. uh... just let me nap and shower, i've only been asleep for like.. uhhh" I look at the clock, "two, maybe 3 hours?". "Ok, sweet man, don't be later than 2 0'clock, at the Distillery" he affirms.

I wake up about a half hour later, look at the window which is a little more illuminated now, and stretch again. I step off the bed, one foot at a time and slunk over to the washroom. I stick my arm into the shower and get the water going, as I like the sound of the water falling from the shower head and crashing on the tub below. After relaxing and getting clean, I dry off with my red towel and get dressed. Black shorts, ripped up at the knees, with an Abigail Williams band tee. I adorn my brass bullet belt and brush the mess of a faded red mohawk before searching for my socks and signature bandanna that I tie around my neck. I assure my wallet is in my pocket by checking for the chain draping from my side. I have a uneventful scramble with the microwave to warm up some home made mac and cheese and mix some iced tea while it warms up. After eating I search for my keys and head out the door. I am on my way downtown from 17th Ave when I whip out my phone, and I call Scott. "Hey?" "Oi!, I wasn't dreaming was I? I was barely awake." I tell him. He informs me it wasn't. "Holy fuck! You're serious. This is awesome!" I say with exuberant enthusiasm. He then states "Haha, rad man, I am too, I'll see you there at two".

After a brief phone call with Danica, we decide we are meeting at 4th street train station, Scotty is on his way there too. We hang out with Danica for a few minutes before we realize the time, and have to get to the venue. She accepts and we go our separate ways. Scott and I get to the venue while discussing how I was the first one he thought of when he found out and the only one to get back to him about the whole ordeal.We are informed that the bands will arrive around 2:00 PM, and as we are a bit early, we help clean the bar. Bottles here, glasses over there and put the cans and plastic bottles in this bin after emptying the left over liquid into this bucket here. I cut myself on something, I have no clue what, but I wash up and and continue. Time passes and near 4 O'clock the bands finally start to show. It dawns on me half way through unloading all the drums, guitars, amp heads and cabinets and looking down at the florescent orange tape on the case I am carrying, that it is labeled "1349". My heart skips a beat. I am holding equipment that belongs to a band I thought would never come to Canada, let alone Calgary. Not only am I going to see them live, but I am helping them set up! I hear Scott say that Marduk is off to Starbucks for some coffee and my heart skips another beat.

After unloading, Scott and I make a trip to McDonalds' and when we get back, we unload Withered's equipment. Danica tries to get a hold of me, which I do not catch onto, perhaps due the fact I was carrying a bag of cymbals that I swear weighed as much as one of those big grey elephants with all the rugs and golden chains and bells on them, with the Persian emissary on top. I see Danica outside, and give her the last cheeseburger we had, as I was thirsty, not anymore hungry. After relaxing in the alley behind the establishment, on the ground in between Marduk's and 1349's tour bus and Weapon's van, we head back in. Scott and I have had about two ciders, on the house, by now. I find a poster for the show and take it down to get signed later, while the bands finish setting up and go through with their sound check. The band members, bar staff and people helping out all just relax together before the show starts.

People start to arrive and the show slowly comes to start. I go to stand in the what was then a small line-up at the merch booth, when I get a tap on the shoulder. The owner of the bar came to collect Scott and I for a shot, on the house. I am pretty positive it was Fireball Whisky with a bit Captain Morgans Spiced. I spend most of the time offering more help that goes unneeded, and conversing with Tessa, new friend and girl at coat check. Reverend Kill begins to play and it is pretty good. After Weapon, whom was also good, plays, Scott and I head out back so he can smoke. We come back and stand stage side and watch/ listen to Withered play.

Scotty taking a picture of myself with my iPhone while Withered plays in back.

It was not long after the moment the above picture was taken when it finally and abruptly kicked in. Out of the corner of my eye, behind a half ass curtain, I see something. I turn to get a better look and I was right, my eyes hath not deceive me! A face covered in corpse paint. In a moment of pure excitement, perhaps a little drunken for I have had something like 3 ciders, 2 beers and a shot. One of the beers was complimentary of Reverend Kill. Anyway, at this moment a doltish grin grows on my face. I am sure if I could grin any wider, it would have become Chelsea. Scott smiles as I hold a giggle of joy to myself, while I unsuccessfully try to wipe that insensate anchored on my face. We watch 1349 from side stage with utter glee, wondering down to the floor to mosh twice. I could do nothing but hold my head high as I was from behind stage and look at all the people catching glimpses of me coming out from an ara I am sure they can only dream of wondering to. Near the end of the last song they play, Scott and I run back stage, and stand await in the back hall. The band comes off stage, It feels like my aorta is trying to crawl up and out of my throat. We greet them, tell them it was a great show. They tell us that they hand fun, and the will probably be back because "the crowd behaved". You always hear about bands saying they really enjoy the show in your city, but I will tell you know... it is completely different when you yourself hear it directly spoken from their mouth, addressed to you with remnants of Norwegian tongue. I get my picture taken with them and ask them to autograph the poster I have, and they happily comply.

Ravn, Archaon, Seidemann and Myself in the hall behind stage.

After talking to 1349 a bit more, Scott and I head back to the side of stage to watch Marduk. It was other moment when that fiend of a grin appears again, not on my face, but Scotty's this time. We watch the show from the side of the stage and after the second encore song, we again race back into the hallway and await for this band. The same thing happens, autographs and talking to the band.

I hit up the merch booth where the guy told me to come after the show to get a discount. I get a 1349 shirt, as it is all I can afford and thank the merch guy before heading back to help the bands pack up. I do not see a face, I only hear a voice that says " Hey, can you put all the drums in their cases?" It feels as if I received a shot of pure gaiety. I blithely do so, and once it is all packed, I help carry things out to the trailers. I catch Frost outside and ask if he has a moment for an autograph and picture. While he hands he stuff he is holding to Scott to hold so he can sign my poster, I tell him that we have met before but did not get a chance to talk or snap a picture. He smiles as he signs and then we were all off to finish packing.

Myself with the man I first believed to be Frost. However, after looking at the picture, I find it to be Jon Rice from Job For A Cowboy. Apparently Frost could not make in the country.

While we were waiting in the back hall for instructions on what do to next, we began talking to the bands again. It was about then that some chick bursts her way into the back hall. I
have no clue who she was or how she got back there. Frost is busy in the
hole-in-the-wall washroom, wiping off his corpse paint when this woman
kicks him out of the washroom. He stands there trying to comprehend what
just happened, with only half of his face wiped clean of the now what
looks like black, white and grey abstract smear on his face as the red
washroom door slams shut in his face. "Are you serious? I thought you
worked here, why don't you go and use the provided public washroom that
would be illegal not to?!" he shouts at the door. I turn to him and
inquire " Did she really just kick you out of there?", he nods as we
both utter "What a bitch".

Scotty and I carried some more stuff out, I with a roll of carpet and a stool, hand the stool off to Scotty as the carpet is shredding and I am trying to prevent it from getting caught on anything. I stayed in the alley to help organize things, as Scott runs back inside to clean up in there.One of the member of Withered and I played a game of Tetris with their equipment, trying to fit in all in the trailer. After joking about it and saying "who said video games didn't prepare you for life?", we laughed and it was then that Scotty came on got me. "That's it! Lets go talk to Mark and see if we can go home". We find Mark and he shakes our hands as we offer to help like we did anytime it is needed. He infers to a date when Anvil is coming and then buys us both a Jager-Bomb.

Scotty runs off home as I wait for Roscoe who graciously offered to pick me up, as my feet are rally, really sore. I walk to where the Roscoe is picking me up and a show him the poster with all the signatures on it, as we drive off into the moon-light night, home. That is the end to a wondering day, and an amazing night. It was by far the best show I have ever been too, and one hell of an experience.

The poster I took and had signed by Marduk, 1349 and members of Withered, Weapon and Reverend Kill.

I have been putting off this post until a got a picture of everyone together. I have one now, a spectacular one. As some people know, JohnnyNaughty have come to sojourn with Roscoe and I. It has been a great time, and at the time of writing this post he is off visiting his friend Chris in Vancouver. Roscoe and I , in the eleventh hour, miss him both equally. He has been dubbed Papa Bear by myself, and even though I have a great interest in him, I just got out of a long term relationship, and as such, I do not wish to jump into anything. I am very glad he has come to visit howbeit and secretly (though not really) hope he decides to stay.

I won't go into detail about what we have been up to, as he is doing a wonderfully fantastic job of that in his blog. You can find his blog through the "Links" bar in the side menu of mine. You know. that one right over there. Keep going... No not that one... A little more to the right. YES, That one! Good boy! He has been keeping a day to day journal of his adventure and it is a good read, so read well.

This is Roscoe, Johnny and myself outside of the Calgary Eagle as you may have inferred due to the lovely metal sign in the back. A thanks to Joel who took the picture for us. It was a good night. We didn't do much in excess of a bit of boot blacking and hanging out with Joel and Marc, as well as a few others. It was overall a very enjoyable night, best bar night I have had for a long while.

I cannot wait for his return. The food he makes, and what we cook together is amazingly good. The company is incredible and the cuddles and hugs are even better. Even though I find discommode in sleeping in a bed with more than one person, that is not Johnny's nor Roscoe's fault. I just find it hard since i sleep all curled up and puppy-like and need space. He is a great guy, on a great trip to have a great time.

See? I told you there would be another post about a drop dead handsome man. I really mean drop dead too, for he knows the dead all too well. I am sure he eats, sleeps and thinks about the dead. On some very well known occasions, has even walked with them. That's right folks, I am talking about the one and only, co-creator of the Walking Dead, Robert fucking Kirkman. I am a HUGE fan of his work and his beard. From the hilarious exploits of Battle Pope and the work with Todd McFarlane known as Haunt, this dude is one awesome engineer of the imagination. We all know my adoration of bears and beards and my admiration of zombies, so this man is an obvious choice for me.I have met Tony Moore and got his autograph which was awesome, oh boy was it. However, I cannot wait for the day I meet Robert Kirkman. The man is a sexy genius and you know I hope to do more than get his autograph.

I also love the thing he does with his eye brows. That confused weirded out look is cute. Yes, I said cute .

Friday, 8 June 2012

Post like this one will probably also come up a lot. People who I think are drop dead hot. Yeah, yeah I know. But sometimes, I just can't help it. So here is the first one, and he totally play into the tattoo AND 1930's mafia fetishes. Welcome... Mike Ness from Social Distortion.

Wednesday, 6 June 2012

I think this is bad ass. I can now blog on the go! This puppy has figured out how to post entries from his phone! So if there is something exceptional that I think needs to be posted on the double, you can bet your assets I will!

I think this function will be used mostly on trips and outings where I may be away from a computer for a while. That way, while I am off on admirable and ambitious escapades such as Rubbout and what not, you shan't be left out. Let the blogging begin! Er... Uh... Again!

Sunday, 3 June 2012

I was rummaging through pictures I had taken on my phone and
I came across a couple that I want to keep but had nowhere to put them. Until
now! As we all recognize, I am extremely enthusiastic about my music. I am
a metal head to the core. So when I had a chance get my picture with some of
those people I venerate, I do just so. You
can wager that there will be more picture like those that follow!

This would be Torbjørn "Thebon" Schei from Keep Of Kalessin and myself. We are standing just outside the entrance to the McEwan Ball Room. They came to town with Sepultura and Neuraxis. This was the second time I have seen Keep Of Kalessin and it was a friggin blast!

This.. This my friends was a blast and a half. This is Daniellica and myself (holding a Finnish flag on my arm. Yes, it happens to be signed by Korpiklaani) posing with Mr. Jonne Järvelä of Korpiklaani. I fucking love this band and this man. I have seen every show they have played in Alberta totaling at 5 at this time. This picture was taken somewhere within the confines of the Pawn Shop in Edmonton. I don;t normally enjoy shows in Edmonton but this was spectacular. The Line up consisted of Korpiklaani, Arkona, Forged In Flame and Polkadot Cadaver. It was the first time I had even heard of Polkadot Cadaver and they speedily became one of my favorite bands.